Improvement in straw-gutters



3Sheets-Sheet 1..' J. DICK, Jr.

. I STRAW CUTTER.

No.177,383. Patented May16, 1876.

iiiniam;

W 7 INVE-IVTOR ym ma /K By 73; Attorney %4 W J'LDICK, Jr. STRAW CUTTER. No.177,383.

3 sheets Sheet 2.

Patented MaylB, 1876.

g iVZZ/TOR W M B flttorney fl M '3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. DICK, 'Jr.

- s'r'RAW CUTTER. No. 177,383. Patented May16,-1876.

W I LUV ESSES /7 V'EN TOR ETER D l GRA HER, WISHIN N,

r SITED J o'sn P H D1 GK, J a,

on CANTON, OHIO.

lMP-ROVEMENTJ'N A S- Specification forming, part of Letters Patent No. 177,383, dated May 16, 1876; application filed January 19, 1876. j

To all whomtt 'mayconcem Beit}. known. that I,JOSEPH DICK, Jr.,.of Ganton, county. of. Stank, State of. Ohio, have insentedcertainnlew and useful Improvements -in1(tutting.;Boxes for cutting. hay,.straw, and

fodder, .of which thefollowing isa full, clear, and exact description,reference, being had to the accompanying drawings, making part. of thissspecificatiomin which- Figural represents a vertical transverse sectioniofa my improvedmachine, taken near theainner end. of the. feed-boxes, .and. looking toward-the cutting-wheel, with the inclo'singcaseeremovedzandparts of the-machine broken away; Fig. .2. represents-.asimilar section on the iecderollers showing theyielding roughenedrollers in= sectionandthe inclosingfcase applied. Fig.3 is. aside elevation,-alsopartl y broken awayfor more clearly showing some oi the; details ofi construction. and arrangement; Fig. et-is-atsectionfthrough one of 'the knifeafastenin gs, .enlarged', showing the means for adjusting, theknifves.v Fig.5v isa perspective-view of one of the stationary outtingrbars detached. Fig. .6 lSilr-llOlllZOlIl view of thecut tiug-orlfeed boxes. Fig. 71s a side elevation ofthefeed ratchet-wheel and pawl-frames. Fig; SisaEfi-Ontelevation of the. same,'.partly insectiona andFig. 9 is. a front elevation of onerofi theslitting-knife bars, showing. the arrangement oft-heslitting-knives Similar letters.- of. reference.denotecorra spondingpartsi wherever. used.

Theiuvention relatestou a construction of hay and straw cutter, principally in par-ts, adaptin g. thesingle cuttingwheeland the-feed devices for operatingin, connection. with two cnttingon feed-.boxes,.andtwo. sets orpairs: of interinitting, feedmolls, but. embracing other features-of constructioniand arrangement, as hereinafter explained.

In-v the accompanying.. drawings, A repre+ sents-s at strong, upright, rectangular: frame, of any suitable. construction, in bearings upon theiuppertransversebars-at one. end of which thershaft of thev cutter-wheel is: mounted. The. cutter=wheel B: has its hub rigidly connected with the'shaft, and is provided with curved arms-or spokes-b1), to the outer ends off'whichthe expandedrim .b,.fonining aband- .on the hub or washer 0 end of the disk or plate is recessed toform a wheel, is connected. The arms I) b are perforated to'receive bolts 0 0, and upon their inner faces, adjacent. to the cutting-boxes, are pro vided with projecting hubs or annular washers c ,surr0unding the bolts 0,.and provided with clutch-faces or a series of inclined planes. on-the side adjacent to the cutters. The perforation through the hub or washer part 0.

is enlarged to form a cylindrical socket, in

which-the stud-journal of a second clutclrfaced disk or collar, c ,.has itssupport or hearing, tlieclutch-face on the part 0 matching that The outer face or hearing for a cylindrical spur'on a flanged p late,,c tothe outer face of which one end of the knife dis secured by, means-of the bolt 10 passing throughsaidknite, and throughthe parts o 0 c and arm or spoke b, a similar arrangement of parts securing the other end of the knife. The heads of thebolts-are counter.- sunkflush with or below thefaoe of the knife, so-as not to interfere with its movement in arm orspoke, and the'bolt 0, with the several par-ts described, ,beingheldto said arm by the :nut-c by loosing said nutand partially rotating tliedisk or collar c the knife d,owing.

I to the. clutch-faces-or inclined planes intermediate between the partsc 0 can be adjusted to or from the arm has desired, and again secured by tightening thenut 0*. The outer faces'of the parts 0 to which the knife is attached, are made slightly convex to permit variation in the distance of the two ends of theknife fromthe wheel-arm, where required- By withdrawing the bolt-c the knife is disconnectedfrom-all its fastening devices, adapting it to be readily groundor'sharpened. Two. 7

of these knives are employed, attached to 0ppositeradial. or curvedarms or spokes of the;

wheel,the cutting-edge'of the. knives being,

by preference, slightly-curved andrwith the inner end set so as to cut in advancepof the outer end. t I

In front of each of the knives is secured what 1 term a slitting-knile bar, E, attached at its ends to lugs or ears formed on the flanged rim, and on the hub or spokes of the wheel. The inner end of this bar starts out on a line about radial to the wheel, and im mediately recedes therefrom in a curved line until it reaches the rim ofthe' wheelin an acute angle thereto on its forward face. its form and relation to the cutting-knife being clearly shown in Fig. l, The bar E is armed with a number of short knives, c e, projecting horizontally from its inner side, arranged in two series, and set at varying angles relatively to each other, but each so placed as to face at right angles a radial line drawn from thecuttin g-wheel shaft to and touching the forward or cutting edge, as shown by the diagram, Fig. 9.

By this construction and arrangement the slitting-knives e e are made to cross the line of the stationary cutting-bar, and to act on the material in rapid succession, no 'two in the same series acting simultaneously and being placed in the two series or zigzag and outwardly-receding relation shown anddescribed,

' each knife is allowed to-act and clear itself from the material acted upon before the action of the following knives endangers the clogging of the knives or the wedging of the material between them. The upper portion of the cutting-wheel, with its cuttingand slitting knives thus constructed, is ineased by flanged side plates F F, the former'attached, by an angular strap or foot-piece, f, and setscrew f tothe outer transverse bar A of the main frame, in such manner that it can be readlly removed when necessary. The inner cover or inclosing-plate F isa-lso provided with angular feet or'hooks', which enter sockets or between ears 9 g, formed on two of the feed-rollstandards G, mounted upon an inner transverseframe-bar, A the upper portion of knivesor otherparts. The cover-plates F! F have rims f upon their outer curved faces, which match within the rim or flange of the Thestandards Gr G'--four iunumber-form i the supportstor the two setsor pairs of feedrolls a H H and their driving sprockets or. wheels, and also for the stationary bars I 1 a lior this latter purpose the standards GG' are a notched or recessed ontheir taces adjacent to a the cutter-wheel, a horizontal flange .or lip, 9

projecting fromeach of the standards or plates G G around saidnotches, and forming sockpassing through-it, the tlle inclinedupper faceof the inclined end '5,

nd fiectually preventingia ny accidental outmachine.- a

. standards G G is keyed a :ratehet-wheelfoe barrel, K. t (See Figsi l and 8.) Atthe sides 1 and said T frames, made n I shape, are armed on their djacent faceseach" said plate being heldin plac'e bya hook-brace, f, said means of attaching adapting the cover a to be readily removedfor giving access to the provided with a series of pertorations, in a cutter-wheel B, (see Fig. 3,) leavingsaid wheel free to serve as the band-wheel, as explained.

, Shaft. f

ets for the reception of the ends jot the knife: bars I l, saidends being made in wedge form,

ends z", and serving to force the knife-bars outward when necessary, the screws '5 having been'first backed to permit such adjustment. By this arrangement the knife-bars can be adjusted with great precision, and as required. a y

The bars I l have each a curved guard, 1, formed upon its inner end, which projects to ward the advancing knives, and serves, in a the event of the latter becoming accidentally loose or displaced, to insure their proper presentation to the stationary cutting-bars l I. The rear or outerfaces of these knife-bars have their plates 1 attached, whichoverhan g the smooth feed-rolls H, and serve to strip said roller and prevent the advancing mate: rial to be acted uponfrom adhering thereto Ordinarily these stripping-plates arejmade of sheet or thin plate metal,which, being cut into the desired form and placedin the mold, have the bars I I cast upon them; but they 'may be otherwise eonnectedwith said bars, it preferred. i y f The standar( l-plates are: i perforated to. form bearings 'for the shafts of thesmooth rolls H, and ot' theirdrivin g shaft orisha-fts K, thelat ter extending through from side to sideot the (See Fig. 1.)f Upon this shaftj K, midway of its lengtl and between the inner} of this ratchet-wheeltram L Lhare mounted loosely on the shaftby sofsleeves L quadrant or, tan

with a series of pawls, t [which overhang a the ends ofthe ratchet-w ice], and are held engaged therewithby snitable sprin The pawl-frames are connected, by p p p 1 1 L", with arocking lever ivoted centrally upon the bariA the links,beingconnected a a a 1 with the opposite arms of said lever atpoints about equidistant from its pivotal cente arm of this rocking lever one of which oneendo inserted, theother end connected with al smal ci a the inner orforward end The crank wheel pm i perforations or .ipoints of at and drive similar wheels k mounted on studshafts k attached to said standards G above the shaft K. To the outer faces of the pinions k is, or to pinion 70 and to shaft K at each end, sprocket-wheels p19 are connected, from which the intermitting motion received by them is imparted tothe feed -rolls. The shafts of the roughened feed-rolls have their hearings in slots g in the standardsthe one slot, where the roughened roller is above the smooth one, being formed in the arc of a circle, of which the stud-shaft k is the center, and the other with the shaft K as a center. By this arrangement the roughened or corrugated roller is permitted to move toward or away from the smooth roller without disturbing the working relation of the driving-chain 19 or gear connecting its sprocket-wheel or pinion with the sprocket-wheel or pinion which drives it.

The outer ends of the shafts of the smooth rollers are connected, in like manner, by sprocket-wheels and chain or gearing, with V the shaft K or pinion 70 and, like said shaft and pinions, the feed-rolls have intermitting rotary motion in reverse directions imparted to them for feeding the straw between them to the cutter. The shafts of the yielding feed-rollers have connected with them, near their ends, pendent links (1 q,which, at their lower ends, are connected to the ends of two horizontal bars, Q Q one of which, Q, is pressed downward by a spring, Q for holding its roller down to its work, and the other, Q where the cutting is performed by the upstroke of the rotating knives, is pressed upward by a sprin g, Q for holding its roller up to its work. By this arrangement either end of the roller may yield freely independently of the other; I

and, by the double arrangement of feed-rolls and stationary cutting-knives shown and described, it will be seen that the rotating knives are adapted to act twice in each revolution one in rising, and again in descending-and upon opposite sides of the cutter-wheel shaft, the two sets of devices for this purpose being separated by the central standards G G, between which the feed-ratchet and pawls are placed, as described.

The standards G G and the space between them are covered by a plate, R, for protecting the feed devices, and from the forward ends of these standards a triangular covered box, R, extends forward, and forms the converging inner sides of the inner ends of the two feed boxes or troughs S S. Of these boxes, one, 8, with the exception of a portion, S of the bottom, at its forward end, is bolted or otherwise rigidly connected with the main frame A, and the other, S, having its smaller discharging end fitted between its pair of standards G G, has its opposite end connected with the frame or fixed box by a book, 8, (see Figs. 3 and 6,) or other suitable fastening, adapting it to be readily removed and replaced for affording access to the working parts of the machine, or for other purpose.

The portion S of the box S is hinged. or pivoted at its forward end to the box'or frame, and has its free end upheld by a pendent rod, T, the lower angular end of which rests upon or is connected with the bar Q which is upheld by the spring Q as hereinbefore explained, in such manner that as the roller H, upheld by said spring, yields to the "aryin'g bulk of material passing between the rollers, the flooring of the feed-box is permitted to yield with it, and thus maintain its relation to the yielding roller. The inner ends of the boxes S S are covered by inclined deflectingboards U U, which serve to compress the materials operated upon, and to direct them properly to the feed-rollers.

The pawls on the pawl-frames L L as will be seen in Fig. 7, are so spaced relatively to each other, and to the teeth of the ratchetwheel upon which they operate, as to divide the length of a tooth into as many parts as there are pawls in each set or series. By this arrangement one or another of said pawls will be always in position to engage instantly with the ratchet-wheel whenever the pawl -frame begins its operative stroke, thereby avoiding waste of motion.

The cutter-wheel shaft is provided with a removable crank, (indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 3,) adapting it to be operated by hand when desired; and, whether the machine is operated by hand or otherwise, only one feedbox need be used where but one is required, and in such case, if desired, the other set of feed-rolls can be disconnected from their driving devices, thereby avoiding the expenditure of unnecessary power.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. in combination with the two feed'boxes and the two sets of feed-rollers, the intermediate ratchet-wheel K and pawl-frames L L arranged and operating substantially as described, for imparting an intermitting feed to the feed-rollers, as set forth.

2. The pawl-frames L L provided each with the pivoted pawls Z Z 1 and arranged to operate alternately on the intermediate ratclr' tially as described. 4.

6. The curved slitting-knife bars E, pro-' vided with the slitting-knives e 0, arranged in the described receding relation to each other, 

